Books have always been an integral part of my life. I am beyond grateful to my parents for instilling a love of reading in us from an early age. Reading has propelled me to success in school, career and life, and I hope I never lose the joy of opening a new book. In the rise of the internet age, I worry that more and more of society will forget the value of turning pages and only seek the thrill of scrolling endlessly. I plan not to: I keep books by my bed, in my bags, and around my apartment as reminders of the different worlds I can choose to escape to if I only just let myself.

Some people like to focus on one book at a time; in the rarest of occasions, so have I. But for the most part, I tend to have a commute book, a bedtime read, and at least a few more. Thus, the Now Reading series, posted each time I finish a round of books. I hope to earn your suggestions moving forward!

Commute Read:

The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood

I'm late to the game on this, and it's taking me forever to get through this book, not for lack of frequent attempts. It's hard to read—not the prose itself, but the plot. In the current political climate, it feels like reading an eerily predictive form of our future. A warning, some might way. I couldn't get past one episode of the Hulu adaptation of this book, but reading is somewhat more safe, as you can really get inside Offred's mind. Atwood's writing is, of course, superb, pulling a reader forward in a seamless way, which is why this book was chosen for my subway read.

Bedtime Read:

Dreams from my Father, by Barack Obama

ALSO very late to this—guess I'm feeling nostalgic lately. I've been holding on to this book for a while, waiting until enough time had passed after the election to see if it would hurt less to read the writing of a man we just lost as our last adequate Commander in Chief. Well, a year later, and it still hurts. Obama's writing is as beautiful as his speeches, and I am fascinated to learn more about his history. The prologue of this edition was written far before his time as President, giving me a feeling that I'm getting to know the man I had the privilege of voting for even before he knew lay ahead for him.

Long-Term Read:

Industries of the Future, by Alec Ross.

This book is my mother's first attempt at encouraging a family book club—not joking. I've been slowly working away at it since she gave it to me this summer, admittedly slowing the whole process down quite a bit. (Sorry Mom!) It's undoubtedly a fascinating read—Ross looks at where the jobs might be 5, 10 years down the road—a well-researched look into careers and industries that we can't quite fathom yet. While I love learning about each area, this book reads almost like a textbook, best approached in smaller quantities.